Archive for
June, 2011

I just got asked this question this past week and wanted to share my answer. One important point that you should come away with is that there is no routine that works for every single person. You will always have to customize your acne skin care routine to suit your skin.

Question:

Will this routine help stop my acne?
-Keeping all hair out of my face all the time
-Stop wearing any makeup for a while
-Deep cleansing daily w/ warm water
-Exfoliating every other day w/ cold water
-Moisturizing with “Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer” by Aveeno
-Before going to bed, wash my face with “Clear Complexion Gentle Foam Wash” by Aveeno w/cold water
-After that, moisturize again with “Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer”

I don’t have reaaaaallly bad acne. Just a few pimpes on my forehead and a little on my cheecks and chin and stuff, but I want CLEAR, EVEN skin. so do you think this will help? also what do you recommend?

Answer:

You have some good ideas here, but you will have to experiment to see what works best for you. There is no one method that is a cure-all for everyone. A few tips I would add:

Stick to a sulfate-free shampoo, such as Free & Clear Shampoo or Pureology Zero-Sulfate Shampoo. Some people break out from sulfates.

If you are going to exfoliate, use a product with glycolic acid or similar, such as those by Glytone. Stay away from anything harsh. It will just irritate your skin and make you break out more.

Only use moisturizer if you need it. There’s no reason to slather on moisturizer if your skin isn’t dry at all. Only use it where you need it.

The cold/hot water idea isn’t necessary. You should never use really hot water since it can damage your skin. Use lukewarm water only. If your skin feels better splashing on cold water after cleaning, go for it.

Get a topical treatment for the areas where you break out and use it daily. Most treatments also act as a preventative. You have to keep using the treatment to keep the acne away.

If you do need to use moisturizer, wait until the acne treatment is completely dry first before applying it.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

P.S. If you are looking for a complete skin care system with glycolic acid, take a look at MedSkin. Their three step system contains varying strengths of glycolic acid, a much more effective exfoliant for your skin than harsh abrasives

Dirty makeup brushes can be a prime cause of acne, rather than the makeup itself. That is why it is essential to clean them on a regular basis to avoid transferring bacteria to your skin. Yes, it is a hassle and requires extra time which you don’t necessarily have in your daily routine. However, think about the consequences to your skin and follow these easy steps on how to clean makeup brushes. This will ensure that your brushes last a long time and will continue to be your best allies in creating that look of flawless skin.

Makeup Brush Cleansers

You have several different choices of what to use to clean your brushes. My favorite professional brush cleanser is the MAC Brush Cleanser. When time is tight, I also use the Japonesque Professional Brush Cleaner Spray. However, I have also used just a gentle foaming anti-bacterial cleanser at times. Baby shampoo is always a good option, since it is gentle on the natural hair bristles of good quality brushes. Finally, I’ve been told that using a mixture of 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar can be great for disinfecting your brushes. Just make sure you rinse them well, since I have to imagine that the smell can be a little off-putting.

Cleansing Methods

For professional brush cleansers, follow the directions on the bottle. For quick-change cleansers, usually this involves spraying the cleanser on the brush and then wiping it on a towel.

For baby shampoo or other gentle cleansers, work up a lather and then gently work the lather through the brush. Rinse the brush carefully and repeat if there is still makeup evident. When you are finished, lay the brush flat on a towel to dry thoroughly.

It helps if you have good quality brushes to start with, such as a good Sephora brush set or those from other top makeup lines. I’ve built up a whole selection of great makeup brushes over the years, which encourages me to take good care of them. A high quality makeup brush is an investment, so take good care of them.

Trying to cope with adult acne can often be as damaging to your self-esteem as when you were younger. After all, who expects to see acne in a 30, 40, or 50 year old? If you’re well beyond your teen years and still experiencing acne outbreaks, you are probably wondering where this is coming from and why. You are not alone. While a large percentage of acne patients are teenagers, many adults also suffer from frequent outbreaks or blemishes on a regular basis.

Women seem to have the most problems with adult acne. While other women are slathering on anti-aging creams, you have to be careful to use anything that will make you break out. To get rid of the acne, you may also require different types of treatment methods than those used for younger individuals.

Causes of Adult Acne

Why are you having to deal with acne when you thought you’d left it all behind? As the number of acne cases in adult women continues to grow, there has been increasing interest in its correlation with hormones. Aside from the usual monthly fluctuations, women experience hormonal changes during both pregnancy and menopause, both of which are times when acne can flare up and persist. Sometimes, adult acne can flare up due to stress, poor diet, and the use of heavy makeup as well. Those issues are far easier to deal with just by finding relaxing activities, improving your diet, and using only makeup that is safe for acne prone skin.

Treatments for Adult Acne

Luckily, there are many treatment options available for adult acne. Depending upon the severity of the condition, your doctor may prescribe a number of medications, including antibiotics and topical creams that contain retinoid.

Oral contraceptives have also been effective in reducing or eliminating acne symptoms in adult women. If you’re not currently taking birth control, it’s a good idea to discuss both the benefits and risks of this type of treatment with your doctor. While oral contraceptives are believed to reduce your chances of developing other conditions, such as osteoporosis, and many types of cancer, they can cause harmful side effects in some cases.

Daily Care of Adult Skin with Acne

Developing a good skin care routine is just as essential as ever in healing and preventing acne. Stay away from any harsh scrubs, and look for gentle cleansers. Products containing glycolic acid are often helpful, due to their gentle exfoliating properties. Test one on a small patch of skin before use.

Cosmetic products should also be chosen with care. Although it’s not necessary to refrain from wearing makeup, you’ll want to use only noncomedogenic cosmetic products if possible.

Be very careful of any anti-aging makeup and skin care. Some of these products are really meant for dry skin and can cause your acne to flare up. Check the ingredients carefully for things that might make you break out, and look for products that are specifically labeled as non-comedogenic.

Many people suffering from acne seek out the sun, believing that it will help. While sun and outdoor air are both beneficial in promoting healthy skin, the use of acne medications or ointments can often make you more sensitive to sunlight exposure. In order to avoid sunburn or redness, be sure to use a sunscreen block that’s appropriate for your skin type.

Your Next Steps

There are a number of successful treatment options available today for adult acne, so don’t delay. Often the hardest task is locating the medication or product that works well for you. For best results, seek the assistance of a dermatologist first. Tackling adult acne is even more critical than in teenagers since the skin is not as elastic and you need to do your best to prevent scarring.

Finding the best foundation makeup for rosacea can be an incredible challenge. Often, the foundations available don’t conceal your redness well enough, or they make your face look flaky or unnatural. Fortunately, there are so many new formulations available that this doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Many high-end makeup lines, and some drugstore brands, have come out with fantastic products targeted towards skin with redness. Here are a few helpful tips on how to successfully find the best makeup for your own rosacea, conceal the redness, and still look natural and beautiful.

1. Go Green

It may sound crazy and look a little scary, but green face products can be your rosacea’s best friend. When used correctly, the green tint will neutralize the redness without making you look like the Wicked Witch of the West. The key is to find a well-made product that can act as a base underneath your foundation. For instance, Make Up For Ever’s HD Microperfecting Primer in green is a thin, silky primer that you apply before foundation that will help eliminate the redness in your skin. For this step, I would recommend investing in a good quality green tinted product, although there are some drugstore options. Another fantastic product that has many purposes is Make Up For Ever’s 5 Camouflage Cream Palette, which combines many different shades of creamy concealer, as well as a green concealer, to make your perfect match.

2. Foundation Makeup for Rosacea
As you probably already know, foundation is one of the key elements to perfect looking skin. However, most women find it very difficult to find a foundation that perfectly matches their skin, resulting in frustration and an unnatural look. Though you can find many good foundations at the drugstore, investing in a high quality foundation gives you an advantage in the quest for perfect skin. Make Up For Ever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation is famous in the beauty world, used by professional makeup artists, celebrities, and thousands of women. It is so popular because of it’s silky texture, fantastic coverage, longwearing ability, and huge range of shades.

3. How to Apply Makeup to Conceal Rosacea
Even if you have all the right products, you still may be frustrated by your mediocre results if you aren’t applying the products properly. The first step is to thoroughly cleanse and moisturize your skin with products targeted towards rosacea. Clinique has a line of products called Clinique Redness Solutionsmeant just for this purpose, and at drugstores you can find the Eucerin Redness Relief line, which uses soothing ingredients to fight redness.

Next, apply your green tinted primer or concealer to areas with redness, using either your fingers or a clean brush. After this has soaked into your skin, apply a foundation that matches your skin tone using a damp sponge or a foundation brush. You can even use a stippling brush such as the Professional Platinum Stippling Brush #44from the Sephora collection for an airbrushed look. Finally, dust your face with a translucent powder like the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder, or a yellow tinted powder such as the Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder to set your foundation. Now you’re ready to finish your makeup look and face the day looking beautiful and redness free!